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Apple stock jumps after CEO reveals it’s investing in the Metaverse

January 28, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Apple

Time Cook said in an investors call that Metaverse applications have a lot of potential and that his company is investing in AR developments on its devices.

Apple's stock price jumped in after hours trading after CEO Tim Cook said during the company’s Q1 2022 earnings call that he sees considerable potential in the Metaverse space.

When asked on Jan. 27 during the call about Apple’s opportunities within the Metaverse, Cook responded “we see a lot of potential in this space and are investing accordingly.”

“We're always exploring new and emerging technologies and I've spoken at length about how it's very interesting to us right now.”

The Metaverse is an interoperable virtual universe created in part by users, offering socialization, gaming and even live concerts. Although it can be accessed with a browser, the experience is better with virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR).

APPL had dropped about 3% to $159.22 during regular trading hours, but has since jumped up 8% to $167.23 in after hours trading. The Metaverse was just one of the topics discussed on the call.

Appleinsider reported that in the Jan. 27 call, Cook pointed out that Apple (APPL) already has a bevy of 14,000 apps on its App Store that have been designed using the AR developer platform ARKit. Apps designed using ARKit could help users gain access to the Metaverse.

Whereas Meta has leaned toward using the Oculus headset to immerse users into the Metaverse, Apple is placing its bets so far on AR technology. An Apple headset was scheduled for release in 2022, but Bloomberg reported on Jan. 14 that it may be delayed due to hardware and software challenges.

Despite Cook’s embrace of the Metaverse, the headset in development is believed to be focused on gaming, communication, and content consumption. So far, the largest company in the world by market cap is lagging behind other tech leaders like Meta and Microsoft, both of which are moving forward with public plans to develop in the Metaverse.

Microsoft recently purchased Activision Blizzard for $69B with the intention of expanding Metaverse gaming.

NFT firm Dropp GG set to launch ‘geo-minting’ and ‘mixed reality events’

January 21, 2022 Coin Telegraph

“NFTs will soon replace transactions that will require proof of authenticity. We believe NFT adoption is inevitable,” stated Dropp GG founder Edmond Truong.

Solana-based augmented reality and NFT platform Dropp GG is developing geographical-based NFT minting and “mixed reality events” tied to the Metaverse.

The firm was founded in early 2021 and is progressively rolling out several initiatives over this year including partnered NFT drops, geo-minting events, virtual land plots with AR support, and a metaverse platform that maps to the physical world.

Dropp recently closed an $8 million funding round that was backed by top crypto and NFT firms such as Animoca Brands, Alameda Research DeFiance Capital and Three Arrows Capital. The funding will go towards IP accumulation, partnerships and metaverse/AR tech development.

One of Dropp’s major initiatives will be the launch of geographical-based NFT minting (geo-minting), slated for beta testing later this quarter. The term refers to specific NFT collections that are only able to be minted by users who are at the predetermined physical location of the drop.

1/5 Introducing: DROPP LOCATION-BASED NFTS
A New Era for NFT Utilization ‍♀️‍♂️ ️@solana $DROPP #NFTcollection #NFT #NFTCommunity

Read more https://t.co/9daQSZnPqw pic.twitter.com/1rCQEN0TTi
— DROPP (@DROPPgg) January 16, 2022

The firm touts the NFTs as a new way for partnered artists, celebrities and influencers to drop exclusive collectibles for their audiences, while the scarcity of the unique geo-specific NFTs is intended to add value on the collectors' end.

Dropp is tight-lipped on the other partnerships it has secured so far but told Cointelegraph that the company will be announcing collaborations with several “celebrities, models and artists” next month.

The company will also launch a metaverse platform dubbed “Dropp Land,” that will feature a virtual reality world that is mapped to the real world. As part of the project, users will be able to buy virtual land plot NFTs, earn yield rewards with them or rent them out to other people.

AR support for the metaverse platform is also in the works, enabling users to experience “mixed reality events” that feature digital representations of the virtual land and other NFTs purchased in Dropp Land in the physical world.

In an interview with Cointelegraph, Dropp founder Edmond Truong stated that the firm is aiming to onboard 500,000 users to Dropp Land in the future, and will focus on providing a bridge between the Metaverse and the physical world by allowing users to interact with their NFTs in both spheres.

Truong said the NFT market acts very differently from any other industry due to the sector’s ability to attract anything from “crypto aficionados,” to gamers, artists, collectors and retail traders.

The founder foresees NFT tech becoming widely adopted once the sector evolves with further utilities for mainstream purposes:

“People will utilize NFTs as digital art, digital tickets, digital documentations, digital identities and digital wallets that will become pivotal in the near future.”

“As the idea of paper money started from receipt of exchange, NFTs will soon replace transactions that will require proof of authenticity. We believe NFT adoption is inevitable,” he added.

The firm’s first partnered NFT collection will launch later this month on the Soulshift NFT platform, and will feature 10,000 NFTs depicting artwork from renowned streetwear designer Hiroshi Fujiwara and artist/skateboarder Mark Gonzales.

Nifty News: Mike Tyson loves Solana, Aoki stops show to flaunt NFT, Apple and the ‘AR Verse’

January 14, 2022 Coin Telegraph

Apple

Apple is reportedly looking at AR over the Metaverse and Artemis has launched a mobile-based social media NFT platform.

Mike Tyson is living the $DREAM

Boxing icon Mike Tyson has stepped into the ring this week, after he shared his enthusiasm for Solana and unveiled a partnership with mental health-focused crypto project TheDreamChain ($DREAM).

In the first round, Tyson — who previously launched an NFT project on Ethereum via OpenSea last year — tweeted on Jan. 13 that he was a born-again Solana (SOL) proponent while sharing a screenshot of a new NFT he'd snapped up from the Catalina Whale Mixer project.

The Solana-based Catalina Whale Mixer NFTs currently have a floor price of 15 SOL ($2,200), and Tyson’s NFT depicts a whale version of himself wearing a world championship belt along with his famous face tattoo.

All in on Solana… Just copped a Catalina Whale... pow pow! pic.twitter.com/97voS15B8y
— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) January 12, 2022

In round two later that day, the 55-year-old tweeted about either what appears to be a partnership or paid celebrity promotion with TheDreamChain. The token’s unusual selling point is that it's just as difficult and limited to trade as a stock.

“It’s the first of its kind that can only be traded during US stock market hours. Could revolutionize the space and help the mental health of the crypto community.”

According to TheDreamChain’s website, its token $DREAM is only available for trade between the standard stock exchange hours of 9:30am to 4:pm, with the idea being that 24/7 trading is causing a mental health crisis amongst crypto traders.

The project states that it will divert 0.5% of all transaction fees to its own foundation, which will donate funds to mental health charities or use the capital to sign partnerships with non-profit organizations.

Apple looking at AR, not the Metaverse

Amid a landrush from tech giants toward the Metaverse, Apple won’t be rushing in with its latest gadget according to Bloomberg’s Apple tech reporter Mark Gurman.

Gurman shared snippets from the latest Q&A section of his paid consumer tech newsletter via Twitter on Jan. 10 regarding Apple’s upcoming virtual reality headset. He noted that:

“Here’s one word I’d be shocked to hear on stage when Apple announced its headset: Metaverse.”

“I’ve been told pretty directly that the idea of a completely virtual world where users can escape to — like the can in Meta Platfroms/Facebook’s vision of the future — is off-limits from Apple,” he added.

According to Gurman’s understanding, current and former Apple execs such as Jony Ive have always envisioned the firm’s VR headset to be a device used in short “bursts” for gaming, content consumption and communication and not as part of a full-blown Metaverse experience.

Instead, Apple is said to be eyeing the augmented reality space (AR) in which the user's physical experience is enhanced with digital or virtual features via devices such as eye lenses, as they can be worn all day and don’t distract from the immediate environment.

Lots of interest in my take on “Apple Reality” and the Metaverse https://t.co/ZmacFcOC9k pic.twitter.com/C4SNbFbULp
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 9, 2022

Artemis launches mobile-focused NFT social media platform

Hong Kong-based blockchain firm Artemis Market launched a new social media and NFT trading platform yesterday.

According to a Jan. 13 announcement, the Solana-based platform has initially launched a desktop and mobile web version with limited functionality, and will be rolling out a mobile app and full social features in the near future.

Artemis is hoping to attract new users with 0% transaction fees on trading until the end of February.

We know all of you have been waiting for this day…
And we are finally LAUNCHING NOWhttps://t.co/OBLamZSR18

What's more? ✨0% TRANSACTION FEE✨until end of Feb!
Join us and start trading on Artemis NOW!#Solana #NFT #NFTlaunch #NFTmarketplace #SocialFi #ListAndEarn #0TxnFee
— Artemis Market (@Artemis_Market) January 13, 2022

The firm stated that it was focused on building a one stop shop mobile platform to provide a user-friendly platform that can be accessed on the go, as it highlighted that the NFT sector currently lacks a “compelling user experience” despite its booming popularity.

"We want our users to be able to conduct their whole NFT experience all in one app. From discovering and hanging out with creators, to collecting NFTs, to interacting, sharing and commenting with friends."

Steve Aoki stops live show to flaunt NFT acquisition

Millionaire DJ Steve Aoki abruptly stopped one of his live music events this week to flaunt a freshly acquired NFT that many of his fans could only dream to afford.

Aoki tweeted a video on Jan. 12 sharing his glee at snapping an NFT from the Doodles collection accompanied by a caption that read:

“Had to stop my show to celebrate my excitement on my doodle! Nfts make me feel like a kid again.”

The Doodles project consists of 10,000 NFT avatars featuring art by popular Canadian artist Burnt Toast. The NFTs currently have a floor price of 11.75 Ether (ETH) worth roughly $38,300 at the time of writing.

Aoki is a major NFT proponent with his fingers in multiple honey pots, and his latest behavior suggests early signs of a crippling NFT addiction.

Other Nifty News

A group of editors on Wikipedia voted against classifying NFTs as a form of art on Jan. 12, opting to exclude NFT art sales from the list of top art sales of living artists. They have agreed to re-open discussions at a later date however.

U.S.-based music streaming platform LÜM is slated to relaunch as an NFT platform later this quarter. It is shifting its focus to musician-focused fan NFTs that enable users to support the artist of their choosing.